Find out how popular the last name Ratajczak is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ratajczak.

Ratajczak, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ratajczak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ratajczak in America

Ratajczak is the 20601st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ratajczak surname appeared 1,286 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ratajczak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ratajczak to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ratajczak

The surname Ratajczak has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Polish word "rataj," which means "ploughman" or "farmer." This suggests that the name likely originated among agricultural communities, potentially referring to an ancestor's occupation as a farmer or someone who worked the land.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ratajczak name can be found in various historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in regions such as Greater Poland and Silesia. The name was often spelled in slightly different variations, such as Ratajczyk or Ratajczyk, reflecting the diversity of local dialects and scribal practices at that time.

One notable historical figure bearing the Ratajczak name was Jan Ratajczak (1551-1620), a Polish nobleman and landowner from the town of Koźmin Wielkopolski. He played a significant role in the local administration and was known for his patronage of the arts and culture during the Renaissance period.

Another individual of note was Jakub Ratajczak (1678-1743), a Catholic priest and theologian from the city of Poznań. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as a respected scholar and teacher at the Poznań Academy (now Poznań University).

In the 19th century, Franciszek Ratajczak (1811-1891) gained recognition as a prominent Polish painter and art educator. He was a leading figure in the Polish Romantic movement and is best known for his landscapes and genre paintings depicting rural life in his native Greater Poland region.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Ratajczak name also appeared in historical records related to the Polish diaspora, as many individuals with this surname emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas in search of new opportunities.

One such example is Józef Ratajczak (1875-1948), a Polish-American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early aviation technology. He held several patents for aircraft designs and worked closely with pioneering aviators like Wilbur and Orville Wright.

While the Ratajczak surname is most commonly associated with Poland, it has also been found in other Slavic regions, likely due to migration patterns and cultural exchanges over the centuries. Regardless of its geographical distribution, the name has maintained a strong connection to its Polish roots and agricultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ratajczak

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ratajczak.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ratajczak was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ratajczak has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ratajczak was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ratajczak, please contact us.

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